Comments on: New Book Contends Eric Stoltz Was “Difficult” & The Cast Wasn’t Shocked He Was Replaced On ‘Back To The Future’ https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/ Thu, 02 Jun 2016 14:32:35 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: Taylor https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128983 Thu, 02 Jun 2016 14:32:35 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128983 In reply to triguous.

I agree with Triguous. Eric seems to be the perfect foil to Christopher Lloyd\’s lunacy. Even Lloyd claimed that he was wonderful (when talking to Chris Hardwick for one of the Nerdist podcasts). It\’s more likely that Eric was fired for two reasons:

1) Mask (another film produced by Universal) wouldn\’t make him an Oscar nominee as originally hoped for.

2) The Universal bigwigs realized that NBC (their TV network) would have more ratings if Michael starred in it (Family Ties became more popular as a result).

I disagree that the cast wasn\’t shocked that he was replaced. Lea Thompson didn\’t accept it (as reported to AICN), Crispin Glover was surprised (as reported to The A.V. Club) whereas Lloyd was in a state of shock that made him question the quality of his own performance.

]]> By: Yippy https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128970 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128970 I had never heard that story before, but it is a brilliant business plan for Zemeckis to use, so I could believe it could be true. Thanks or that Yeah

]]> By: triguous https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128971 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128971 I can\’t be the only one who thinks that Eric Stoltz was great in the role prior to being fired. If they were so sure he wasn\’t what they were hoping for, why won\’t they release any of his footage [with audio]? Probably because he\’s good. Maybe not funny, but still good. There\’s a dramatic BTTF I would love to see.

]]> By: kurt https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128972 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128972 Thanks, Nancy. The only silver lining is to have all this ~leaked while the involved parties are still alive.

]]> By: equipmentguy https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128973 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128973 Hey Nancy, interesting on the Orson Welles story. I remember after Welles dies in 85\’ how there was an article on Spielberg going on about the influence Welles was to him and I was thinking the same thought, you bought the damn Rosebud sled for millions but never thought to maybe produce Welles last picture when he was alive for a price that would have been less then the sled. Maybe Welles @ 70 would have shown the young gun Spielberg up or he thought he might.

]]> By: Sneadly https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128974 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128974 it was news to me. Thanks Yeah.

]]> By: faulkner https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128975 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128975 i find it quite telling that the comment section here constantly provides more insight than the blog posts.

]]> By: nance https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128976 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128976 Amblingal • 3 years ago

I worked at Amblin\’ in the 80\’s when all this went down, and here is what really happened.

Bob Zemeckis was given a firm start date by Universal. This was before he had any real power in the business; they said \’you will start on this date or we won\’t make the picture\’. Michael Fox was not technically available, and Universal refused to shoot around his sitcom, so Bob cast Stoltz.

Steven Speilberg then told Bob that there was a way to get Fox after all, which was to do this; don\’t give Stoltz any direction, print the least funny takes, and assemble a rough cut to show Sid Sheinberg and the Universal execs. It was a gamble he was sure would work – the execs would not be pleased, but they would be too far in to back out, and would then acquiesce to shooting around Fox\’s tv schedule.

To Bob\’s credit, he was uneasy with this approach, but it was a tough time for him. He was struggling with Bob Gale (who also wanted to direct), and going through a rough patch in his marriage, among other things.

I\’ve kept my mouth shut over the years because this is how the business works- it\’s not for the faint of heart.

However, I find it a bit reprehensible that they are now making even more profit off this ugly little event by releasing the footage that by design was never meant to be good in the first place.

Harvey Keitel shot a considerable amount of Apocalypse Now, but why don\’t we see Francis Coppola releasing that footage?

Because he\’s got class. The one thing that all the riches in the world cannot buy.

205 • Reply•Share ›

]]> By: nancy https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128977 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128977 sorry for the mess above, apparently you can\’ t put in new comments with paragraphs. Will post again so it\’s more legible.

]]> By: Nancy https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128978 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128978 There\’s so much more to this story, if you\’ll simply poke around the internet.
But if you look behind it all, the big question arises, WHY this story at this time? Simple. It\’s the 30th anniversary of BTTF! Hmmmm… how can we make even MORE money off of it? I know- release a fan book (which doesn\’t interview Stoltz, and only got Bob Z for 30 minutes), create a mini-media storm around nothing new at all, and bingo! More dollars from the fans. Here\’s the sad reality- they used an actor (stoltz), didn\’t direct him, and he resorted to his Actor Studio training to try to do a good job. Read below for comments from a woman who worked at Ambling, and wrote to the Hollywood Reporter years ago about this.

Amblingal • 3 years ago
I worked at Amblin\’ in the 80\’s when all this went down, and here is what really happened.

Bob Zemeckis was given a firm start date by Universal. This was before he had any real power in the business; they said \’you will start on this date or we won\’t make the picture\’. Michael Fox was not technically available, and Universal refused to shoot around his sitcom, so Bob cast Stoltz.

Steven Speilberg then told Bob that there was a way to get Fox after all, which was to do this; don\’t give Stoltz any direction, print the least funny takes, and assemble a rough cut to show Sid Sheinberg and the Universal execs. It was a gamble he was sure would work – the execs would not be pleased, but they would be too far in to back out, and would then acquiesce to shooting around Fox\’s tv schedule.

To Bob\’s credit, he was uneasy with this approach, but it was a tough time for him. He was struggling with Bob Gale (who also wanted to direct), and going through a rough patch in his marriage, among other things.

I\’ve kept my mouth shut over the years because this is how the business works- it\’s not for the faint of heart.

However, I find it a bit reprehensible that they are now making even more profit off this ugly little event by releasing the footage that by design was never meant to be good in the first place.

Harvey Keitel shot a considerable amount of Apocalypse Now, but why don\’t we see Francis Coppola releasing that footage?

Because he\’s got class. The one thing that all the riches in the world cannot buy.
205 • Reply•Share ›

Avatar
Jill Amblingal • 3 years ago
Wild! I\’ve always known there are three sides to every story, your side- his side- and the truth- and this is the first alternate side to this story I\’ve come across, and it sure sounds like the truth to me. I\’ve always wondered why they cast Stoltz if they always wanted Fox, and this adds up. Also, Stoltz just wrote in an EW magazine about directing Glee that he \’was never really directed in the 80\’s\’, and that adds up too.If they are indeed profiting off the footage that they intentionally made look bad enough to get the studio to give them their way, then shame on them.One wonders how they sleep, in their gold encrusted beds on their acres in Malibu!
37 • Reply•Share ›

Avatar
Suzyqqq Jill • 3 years ago
I\’m shocked. SHOCKED to hear this story.

I remember when Orson Welles asked Speilberg for 300 grand to complete financing for his film of The Cradle Will Rock. Speilberg said no, and then the next month bid 2 million dollars for the original sled from Citizen Kane.

Scumbags!

]]> By: yeah https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128979 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128979 This article mentions neither hide nor hair of the possibly apocryphal BTTF conspiracy story, nor does the new book, surely. Just offering the fans who aren\’t familiar an alternative to the official Stoltz story. It\’s not that widely circulated.

]]> By: JInny https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128980 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128980 Thanks for repeating all the usual stuff that we\’ve read on all the other sites for years, yeah. It\’s always good to be reminded isn\’t it?

]]> By: yeah https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128981 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128981 Not to tell tales out of school, as this is pure rumor, but: MJF was the only guy Zemeckis wanted for Marty, and there was the scheduling problem: FoxStudios needed the movie to start shooting by a certain date and MJF was locked into his Family Ties contract. So, I once heard that during pre-production Zemeckis took a meeting with Spielberg to discuss the problem he was having casting the lead. Spielberg advised him to cast whomever the studio wanted for Marty (Stoltz), start shooting as planned, but don\’t offer the kid any direction, and print mediocre takes. Then the studio would see that it\’s not working after a few weeks, around the time that MJF would be free. By then they would have sunk so much cash into the movie, and seen the potential, they\’d allow, even encourage, Zemeckis to fire Stoltz and hire MJF. And, apparently, Zemeckis took the advice and the rest is history

]]> By: Hahaha https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128982 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:45 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128982 Michael Keaton eh?

]]> By: Mr. Peabody https://staging2.theplaylist.net/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-20150703/#comment-128969 Mon, 23 May 2016 03:01:44 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2015/more/uncategorized/new-book-contends-eric-stoltz-was-difficult-the-cast-wasnt-shocked-he-was-replaced-on-back-to-the-future-262353/#comment-128969 Clover was a drama queen, Stoltz was a jerk. End of Story.

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